LET US PRAY
Prayer For Remembrance Day 11th November
Heavenly Father, we lift up in prayer today by remembering and reflecting on the courage of those who fought for our freedom. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone before us, sacrificing their own lives for the protection and safety of others. We pray for all who have laboured for liberty, freedom and justice; for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice; for those who in life and death have preserved our living. We are grateful for their service and hold before you those whose memory we cherish, and those whose names we will never know. Grant that they may rest in your peace. As we pray for those who lost their lives in conflict throughout our history, we recognize the ongoing war and violence that continues to plague humanity in many places, and in many forms.Today, we pray for peace, which those we honour fought valiantly to achieve. May they inspire us to live selflessly in our own lives, as Christ calls us to do. Amen.
Context of What is Remembrance Day
Earlier this week at 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month we remembered the moment in 1918 when World War I came to an end. On Remembrance Day, we remember Australian men and women who have served in war and peacekeeping activities. Remembrance Day does not glorify war – it honours the memory of all those who laid down their lives for Australia. As a mark of respect to those who have served, we stopped to observe one minute’s silence. Let us ponder what we are called to be, a better world and for each other.
REFLECTION
We remember the sacrifice and we know a sacrifice is an act of love modelled after Christ, we hear this in John 15:12,17:
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends… This is my command: Love each other.
As followers of Christ, we are called to be people of mercy and love and be the face of Christ towards those we encounter. This makes us neighbours as brothers and sisters in Christ. Pope Francis has been inviting us to think of our neighbour since he began his papacy. In his 2020 Encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, we are called again to consider who is our neighbour.
May these words of Pope Francis be one day heard all over the world.…
Mercy nourishes and strengthens solidarity towards others as a necessary response to God’s gracious love, “which has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:5). Each of us is responsible for his or her neighbour: we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they live.
At the heart of the Gospel of mercy, the encounter and acceptance by others are intertwined with the encounter and acceptance of God himself. Welcoming others means welcoming God in person! Do not let yourselves be robbed of the hope and joy of life born of your experience of God’s mercy, as manifested in the people you meet on your journey!
In light of Remembrance Day, let us be open to peace, mercy and love for our neighbour near and afar.
St Vincent de Paul 2024 Christmas Toy Appeal.
With Christmas almost upon us, we turn our thoughts to ways in which we can share the joy and cheer of the festive season with those among us who are doing it hard during these days of rising costs.
The St Vincent de Paul Society is a charity organisation, that relies on the generosity of local organisations and schools/colleges to provide assistance to the needy in our area.
Earlier in the year we supported them with our Winter appeal drive. As the community of St Augustine’s we would like to support the organisation with toys for children as our donation. We invite you to donate a new toy so that every child will have the joy of one on Christmas morning. We trust that the spirit of Christmas that spreads hope, peace and goodwill, inspires your family to give generously. Please send these toys to school to be placed under our Christmas giving tree.
Christmas Masses and invitation to all children (advanced notice)
Fr Ananda invites all families to attend a Christmas mass. In particular there are two family masses. The family mass at St Augustine’s is on Saturday evening 24th December beginning at 7.00pm. He has invited all children to come dressed as an angel, shephered, Joseph, Mary, king etc. This is a wonderful time of the year and opportuntiy to gather as the families of St Augustine’s to celebrate the birth of Jesus. There is also a family mass and other masses being offered at St Christophers. Please note the following times of all masses.
Mrs Barone